YOUNG linguists got their tongues around two new languages as part of a national competition.

The five pupils of St John's-on-the-Hill School in Tutshill had 'home advantage' hosting the south-west semi-final of the Eurotalk junior language challenge.

Ffion Hillman, aged eight, Ethan Rose, Amber Jones and Oliver Rayner who are all nine and 10-year-old Ellis Davies had to learn Italian for the first round and Japanese for the semi-final.

The children played Japanese language games on tablet computers which tested their knowledge of several hundred everyday words and phrases.

Oliver was the top St John's student coming fifth overall but who just missed out on a final place.

St John's welcomed 14 semi-finalists from five schools in the south west. He said: "We enjoyed the challenge. We had to practise the language on the computer."